Eisbären Berlin | |
---|---|
City | Berlin, Germany |
League | Deutsche Eishockey Liga |
Founded | 1954 |
Home arena |
Mercedes-Benz Arena (Capacity: 14,200) |
Colours | |
Owner(s) |
Anschutz Entertainment Group (Philip Anschutz, chairman) |
General manager | Peter-John Lee |
Head coach | Uwe Krupp |
Captain | André Rankel |
Website | eisbaeren.de |
Eisbären Berlin (English: Berlin Polar Bears) are a professional ice hockey team based in Berlin, Germany. The team competes in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), the highest level of play in professional German ice hockey and is also one of the league's founding members. The Eisbären have won the DEL championship more times than any other team. The club captured national 7 DEL titles. They won the German ice hockey cup in 2007 as well as the European Trophy in 2010. Before reunification the team won the East German ice hockey championship 15 times.
The club's origins go back to 1954. Following incorporation into the West German 1. Bundesliga in 1990, the team was renamed EHC Dynamo Berlin and again in 1992 to EHC Eisbären Berlin. The home games are played at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.
The Eisbären Berlin are owned by the Anschutz Entertainment Group. The official logo of the team is the polar bear, a reference to the bear appearing on Berlin's coat of arms.
The sports club Dynamo Berlin (SC Dynamo Berlin) was part of the sports association SV Dynamo of the East German Police and Secret service. It offered a wide spectrum of competitive athletic activities, including track and field, swimming, gymnastics, fencing, rowing, boxing and ice skating. SC Dynamo Berlin created an ice hockey section in 1954 and the club won their East German first title in 1966. In 1971 the league was reduced to just two teams and SC Dynamo Berlin and SG Dynamo Weißwasser made up the smallest ice hockey league in the world. All together Berlin won the East German championship 15 times, the last title coming in 1988. In 1984, Dynamo Berlin competed at the European Cup of Champions and came in third place.